THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 – The Folly of Trying to be All Things to All People

Pictured: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, heroically holding the weight of his sequel’s issues. Chief among these is a plot that doesn’t quite know where it wants to focus, resulting in a movie that feels a bit too long, and simultaneously too short. Similarly the tone and quality of dialogue oscillates wildly from scene to scene, from schlocky to charming.

The film does a lot of things right, however. Visually it is hands down the most stunning realization of swinging through New York yet filmed. (Yes. You should see this in theaters. And DOUBLE YES. You NEED to see it in 3D!!! …not that I’m biased.) The film also nails Spidey’s personality in a way none of the other films have yet. He’s snarky. He’s silly. He not only cares about the civilians in danger, he connects to them on an individual level. Garfield and Stone also turn in another charming performance as the leads, (though if they didn’t win your heart previously as the definitive Spidey couple, they won’t here.)

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 feels like it could have been two really good movies, but in a rush to assemble the Sinister Six (Spidey’s anti-Avengers) they packed this chapter too tight for its own good. It’s definitely more uneven than the first reboot, but also more entertaining. Moderate your expectations, but I definitely recommend it!